Unit Outline

The geospatial project unit allows students to undertake a significant investigative project within the discipline of Surveying and Spatial Sciences. The unit gives students an insight into project management skills including; project design, methods development, data collection, data management and analysis, client/supervisor meetings, report writing and presentation. Students undertake their project under the direct supervision of one or more academic staff from the Surveying and Spatial Science group in the School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Define a research problem and set project objectives relevant to a specific sub-discipline within the spatial sciences.
2	Develop and implement a methodology to address the problem based on information gained from relevant literature and expert advice
3	Collate and analyse relevant information and data to address the project aim and objectives
4	Evaluate results in the context of previous work and/or industry standards and specifications.
5	Communicate effectively in written and oral formats using appropriate conventions.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	50 credit points from the list: KGG212, KGG213, KGG220, KGG306, KGG330, KGG370, KGG375 Any four of: KGG212, KGG213, KGG220, KGG306, KGG330, KGG370

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT TASK 1:		Not Yet Determined	0 %	LO1
ASSESSMENT TASK 2:	Project Contract	Week 2	0 %	LO1
ASSESSMENT TASK 3:	Project Outline	Week 3	10 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
ASSESSMENT TASK 4:	Intermediate Report	Week 7	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
ASSESSMENT TASK 5:		Week 13	25 %	LO3, LO4, LO5
ASSESSMENT TASK 6:	Final Report	Week 15	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1:

TASK DESCRIPTION:

Supervisor Meeting Checklist
The supervisor meeting checklist provides a record of student-supervisor meetings.
Students must ensure supervisors sign off each week (or as agreed with their
supervisor). The checklist commences from Week 3, following submission of the
contract.
The checklist pro-forma is given in Appendix C. The checklist is a
mandatory requirement - failure to submit the completed checklist with their final
report will deem students ineligible to proceed in the unit.

TASK LENGTH:

DUE DATE:

Not Yet Determined

WEIGHT:

0 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Submit a completed supervisor checklist/meeting log containing detailed descriptions of weekly milestones and discussion points	LO1

Assessment Task 2: Project Contract

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The first submission is the project contract, to be completed by the student and
supervisor after a decision has been made on a project topic. The contract requires a
working title, general aim and objectives and any specific information to be brought to
the attention of the Unit Coordinator (risks, unusual requirements etc)
The contract pro-forma, and an example of a completed contract is given in Appendix
B. The contract is a mandatory requirement - failure to submit
the project contract will deem students ineligible to proceed in the unit.

TASK LENGTH:

1 Page

DUE DATE:

Week 2

WEIGHT:

0 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Correctly submit the pro-forma with supervisor endorsement	LO1
2	Complete all necessary aspects of the contract pro-forma	LO1

Assessment Task 3: Project Outline

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The project outline is a document that acts as the framework for the research project. Within the outline, students are expected to demonstrate early planning of their project and set appropriate milestones for their progress.

Within the outline, students should provide responses and descriptions under the following broad headings:
• Introduction
• Aim and objectives
• Justification
• Preliminary literature search and review
• Proposed methodology
• Project threats and weaknesses
• OH&S Risk Assessment

TASK LENGTH:

The project outline has a maximum length of three (3) A4 pages.

DUE DATE:

Week 3

WEIGHT:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Clearly define and articulate project aims and objectives	LO1
2	Document early planning of research activities and a framework for completion of the project	LO1, LO2
3	Undertake a preliminary literature review, and identify appropriate resources relevant to the project topic	LO2, LO3
4	Identify and describe and appropriate methodological framework to address the project goals	LO2

Assessment Task 4: Intermediate Report

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The intermediate report is designed to collate the initial research work you have completed in the first half of the semester. Within this document, students are expected to demonstrate a maturing research plan and produce a formal literature review.

The intermediate report is also designed as an opportunity to gain feedback on the work you have already undertaken, and to prepare portions of your final report in advance. This document will become incorporated into the final report.

The structure of this report is flexible to cater for the diversity in adopted projects

A typical structure for the report would look like:
• Introduction
• Aim and objectives
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Preliminary analysis
• Tasks remaining
• References

TASK LENGTH:

~ 15-20 pages

DUE DATE:

Week 7

WEIGHT:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Document a clear and maturing research plan, and provide justification for the project design	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Present a literature review that addresses the majority of the relevant literature, and provide some synthesis of the collected information.	LO1, LO2, LO3
3	Clearly outline the methodology chosen to address the project aims and justify any choices of analysis techniques and data sources	LO1, LO2, LO3
4	Prepare a formal written document that communicates your project in a professional manner	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 5:

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The fourth assessment is an oral presentation to be presented to other students undertaking the KGG355 unit, Surveying and Spatial Science academic staff and any special guests. The presentations are of 15 minutes duration plus 5 minutes for questions. The presentation should convey the entire research project to the audience (introduction, aim and objectives, methodology, analysis, discussion, acknowledgements etc).
A specific presentation skills lecture will be held late in the semester to assist students in planning their presentation.

TASK LENGTH:

12 mins talk time, 3 mins questions

DUE DATE:

Week 13

WEIGHT:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Present your project in an engaging and enthusiastic manner	LO5
2	Respond appropriately and confidently to questions asked by the audience	LO4, LO5
3	Describe the key elements of the project in a manner appropriate for the level of the audience	LO3, LO5

Assessment Task 6: Final Report

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The final report represents the summation of the work undertaken during the semester. Within the report, students are expected to document their project work throughout the semester in a formal scientific format.

There is no specific word limit for this submission . The project final report is expected to be a formal scientific report divided into chapters, correctly referenced, and presented to a high standard. The structure is flexible to cater for diverse projects – discuss this with your supervisor. A typical structure would look like:
• Abstract
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introductory Chapter
• Review Chapter(s)
• Methodology Chapter(s)
• Analysis and Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Appendices

TASK LENGTH:

~7,500 / 10,000 words

DUE DATE:

Week 15

WEIGHT:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Apply theoretical knowledge and understanding of the project topic	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Describe your research aims and methods	LO2, LO3
3	Conduct research and present the results	LO4, LO5
4	Synthesise, analyse, and evaluate data	LO2, LO3, LO4
5	Communicate your research findings in a professional written format	LO5

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late Penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.